The West Indies defeated Sri Lanka by 4 wickets in the 1st Twenty/20 International at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua and Barbuda last night, to take a 1-0 lead in the 3-match series.
The highlights of the match were West Indies captain, Kieron Pollard’s spectacular 6 sixes off an over from Sri Lanka’s off-spinner/leg-spinner, Akila Dananjaya, who dismissed opening batsman, Evin Lewis for 28, and Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran without scoring in three consecutive deliveries before Pollard’s heroics.
Dananjaya has joined South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs and Yuvraj Singh in having 36 runs hit off an over.
The evening began normal enough. The West Indies won the toss and put Sri Lanka in to bat first. They were restricted to 131-9 off their 20-overs. Pathum Nissanka (39) and opening batsman/wicket-keeper, Niroshan Dickwella (33) were the lead scorers for Sri Lanka as left-arm, fast bowler, Obed Mc Coy took 2-15 with a wicket each to off-spinner, Kevin St Clair, fast bowler, Fidel Edwards, fast bowler, Jason Holder, medium pacer, Dwayne Bravo and left-arm, leg-spinner, Fabian Allen.
Lendl Simmons (26) and Lewis (28) provided a good start for West Indies with an opening partnership of 52 before Dananjaya and Pollard worked their magic to virtually outshine the floodlights at the Coolidge Cricket Ground.
Pollard hit 38 off only 18 balls with 6 sixes. Then Jason Holder (29 not out) and Dwayne Bravo (4 not out) took the West Indies to victory at 134 for 6 off 13.1-overs.
Dananjaya finished with 3-63, and leg-spinner, Hasaranga de Silva took 3-12. 75% of West runs, 102 were scored in boundaries off just 19 deliveries. The match was interrupted briefly for rain during Sri Lanka’s innings.
The final scores: Sri Lanka 131 for 9 off 20-overs, the West Indies 134 for 6 off 13.1-overs.
The 2nd Twenty/20 International will be tomorrow also at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua and Barbuda.
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